Filling of truck tanks



Sept. 3, 1935. P. s. SHIELD FILLING OF TRUCK TANKS 2 Smets-sheet 1 FiledOct. 14, 1931 1 m J M .L n n. Q n J. r H if Lnllfu f fll 1 m /NVENTORSept. 3, 1935. P, 5 SHlELD l 2,013,510

FILLING OF TRUCK TANKS y Filed Oct. 14, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PatentedSept. 3, 1935 y UNITED STATS nano PATv

OFFICE FILLING OF TRUCK TANKS Application Qctober 14,

15 Claims.

The object of this invention is to provide means for simultaneously,quickly, safely and accurately iilling the compartments of multiplecompartment truck tanks, through piping and valves V built into the tankand independent of the piping and the outlet or emergency valves throughwhich deliveries of liquid are made from the tank. Anobject is to causethe shutting oi of the lling of the various compartments to be entirelyautomatic and not dependent on an attendant racing from compartment tocompartment in an attempt to stop the filling of each compartment whengasolene or other liquid reaches an exact level therein. Another objectis to avoid wasteful or dangerous discharge of liquid remaining in thelling hose when this hose is detached from the piping of the tank, orthe alterna-tive necessity or providing this hose with a valve at itsend, but on the contrary to make provision so that when the flexibleconnection is broken the gasolene in the hose will drain into one of thecompartments of the tank, the exact measurement of the total quantityfilled into this compartment being insured by means later described.

In the accompanying drawings forming part hereof:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a truck tank to which the invention isapplied;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view;

Fig. 3 is a vertical, transverse section;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on a larger scale illustrating aconstruction suitable for the automatic lling valves; Fig. 5 is anillustration of part of the iioat device of a compartment in which thefilling is to be' shut off at a lower level than in other compartments;and

Fig. 6 is an elevation looking from the right in Fig. 4.

The truck tank is shown, for purpose of illustration, as having fourcompartments I, 2, 3 and 4, which are entirely separated from each otherby the partition heads 5. Each compartment has a bottom outlet E,commanded by a spring-closed emergency valve l, these valves when closedpreventing any flow of liquid from the compartments to lthe deliverypipe or pipes 8. These pipes may be understood as having usual deliveryvalves or faucets at their outer ends. 'Ihe means for operating theemergency valves, either by unit control or selectively, is not materialto the invention. Operating connections 9 passing through the` tops ofthe compartments are in- 7dicatved schematically. The tops of thecompartments rhave manholes 1931, Serial No. 568,741

I0 closed by covers II. The term manhole is used descriptively, sincethe openings may be on the order, in size, of handholes or fill-holes.

A longitudinal lling header I2, preferably a three-inch pipe closed atits ends, extends within all the compartments, near the top, and throughthe partition heads, to which it is secured in a rm and liquid-tightmanner. From this header, downtake pipes. I3, preferably of twoinchsize, drop to near the bottoms of the several compartments.

At the junctions between the downtakes and the headers, and in orbeneath the manholes, are automatic filling valves I4. The valveelements I5 of these valves are urged toward their seats I6 by springsII, and means are provided for catching them in the open positions andfor releasing or tripping them as each compartment becomes filled to itsmeasured capacity, that is to say totally full except for the expansionspace that it may be necessary to leave. The specific construction ofthese valves may be varied, that shown in Figs. 4 and 6 beingillustrative. A rock-shaft I8, journaled in the valve body I9 andextending through a stuffingbox in one wall, has a crank 20, to which athrust pin 2| is pivoted to lift the valve element away from its seatwhen the rock-shaft is turned in one direction. A handle 22, fixed onthe outer end of the rock-shaft, is accessible through the manhole, anda stop 23 projecting from the valve body limits the movement of thishandle in the direction of operation that opens the valve. A catch-arm24, also xed on the rock-shaft, has a hooked and beveled end to engageautomatically with a catch lever 25 pivoted at 25 on the valve body.

The catch-levers 25 of the filling valves of the several compartmentsare controlled by individual oats 21, which are disposed to operate atlevels above the valves or above the downtakes I3, to release each valvewhen the filling of ythat compartment brings the liquid to predeterminedproximity to the top.

These oats are preferably contained in floatchambers 28, provided withopenings 29 and supported on the outside of the valve bodies I9, andhave stems 30 which extend downward and are connected with levers 3|,pivoted on ilxed lugs 32, these levers, in turn, being connected bylinks 33 with the catch levers 25. The float chambers have lateralopenings. By these or other suitable connections, the lifting of thefloats by Ithe rising liquid causes tripping of the filling valveelements I5, each of which at the moment these valves. Y

through the downtakes is a feature of safety and of its tripping,whenever that may be, is closed by its spring I1.

Another feature of the invention causes automatic closing of any one ofthe filling valves in event of the gasolene vapors taking fire in acompartment during filling. To this end, compartment filling valves areplaced under double control, that is to say under the filling control bythe floats and under an emergency release control by thermal devices,these two controls being combined with the valves in such manner thateach acts under the proper circumstances With' out interference ofeither by reason of the presence of the other. In the particularconstruction illustrated in the drawings, a tripping plunger 34 isguided in a bracket 35 extending from the valve body it and is actedupon by a spring 33. The lower end of this plunger has a portion 31which underlies the tail of the catch` lever 25, so thatV when and ifthe spring 36 is free to act, it will' throw the plunger up and triptheV lever. Under all ordinary circumstances, however, the springs ofthe thermal release devices in the respective compartments arerestrained by readily fusible wires or elements 33. In Fig. 4 thefusible element is shown tying an arm 39 to the bracket 35, the arm 39being pivoted to the float chamber or other support and the arm beingconnected to the upper end of the plunger. The bracket'35 may be, also,the support for the float chamber and the stop 23. The relations of theiioats and of the thermal devices to the mechanisms for holding thefilling valves open during filling are such that the operation of theoats to' trip the valves is independent of the fusible devices, whichcontinue to be restrained, and on the other hand, that any one of thethermal releases devices can effect closing of its valve notwithstandingthat the corresponding float would be down at the time. Y

The header is preferably disposed at one side of the manholes. A fillingor connection branch 43 extends from the manifold to a point beneath orreadily accessible to themanhole of compartment 2, for example, where ithas a quick-coupling connection 4I for the attachment of the end of afilling hose, when the cover of this compartment is open. 'Ihe automaticshut-off of this particular compartment is so calibrated that it stopsthe filling of the compartment at a level enough below its statedcapacity, so that, when the valve behind the hose is closed and the hosedisconnected and its contents allowed to run into the compartment, thecompartment will be full to that capacity.

Assuming that the tops of all the compartments are on a level, the fioatmechanisms of compartments l, 3 and 4, for example, would be calibratedto release the filling valves of these compartments at the same level.The float of the compartment containing the detachable connection forthe filling hose can be easily set to operate at a somewhat lower levelby making the stem 3S of this float shorter than the others by theproper amount. This is illustrated by Fig. 5 in comparison with Fig. 4.

The operation is as follows:

During filling, the emergency valves remain closed, and the inventionrequires no change in The filling of the compartments economy, since assoon as some gasolene is delivered into each compartment the remainderwill be discharged beneath the surface. Consequently it willnot'vaporize and spray as it would if the stream fell through the air.The automatic lling valves, with their control floats located above thevalves, cause the filling of each compartment to cease, withoutattention on'the part of the attendant when the liquid reaches thecalibrated full level. This is true even though certain compartmentsfill faster than others or though the compartments be of differentcapacities.

The shut-off of the compartment having the quick-coupling connection forthe filling hose operates at a level sufliciently lower than the f'lnallevels in other compartments to allow quite exactly for the amount ofliquid that will be drained into this compartment from the hose afterVdisconnection. This obviates'waste and hazard in disposing Vof thecontents of the hose.

In event of the gasolene in any compartment taking fire during filling,the fusible release deing a common piping fixed in the interior of the ltank and having branches to deliver the'lling liquid'into the severalcompartments, valves independently controlling said branches, said pip-ving being further provided 'with an intake branch having a couplingconnection located in one of the compartments so as to receive the endof a filling hose when the manhole cover of that compartment is open. Y

2. In combination with a truck tank subdivided into separatecompartments having valved outlets for drawing oif the liquid, fillingmeans independent of the valved outlets comprising a header pipeextending Within the upper parts of the compartments through thedivisions between the compartments, downtake pipes extending from saidheader pipe to near the bottoms of the several compartments, valves forindependently n shutting off the Yflow through said downtake pipes, andan intake connection to said header pipe located in one of thecompartments, said compartment having an opening in its top providedwith a cover, opening of which affords access to said inlet connection.

3. In a multiple compartment truck tank, filling means'comprising pipingfixed in the interior of the tank and having branches to deliver thefilling liquid into the several compartments, automaticV valves forstopping flow through the respective branches, andfloat-controlled meanslocated in each of the compartments and controlling said valvesindependently to cause each of them to close when its compartmentbecomes substantially full. y f

4. In a multiple compartment truck tank, filling means comprising pipingfixed in the interior of the tank and having branches to deliver thefilling liquid into the several compartments, automatic valves forstopping flow through the respective branches, and float meanscontrolling said valves independently to cause each of the valves toclose when its compartment becomes substantially full, the floats ofsaid means being located in the upper parts of the compartments abovethe valves which they control. I

5. In combination with a multiple compartf several compartments, saidpiping being further provided with an intake branch having a couplingconnection located in one of the compartments to receive the end of afilling hose, said compartment having an opening in its top providedWith acover, opening of which affords access to said inlet connection,automatic valves for stopping flow through the other respectivebranches, and oat-controlled means located in each of the compartmentsand controlling said valves independently to cause each of them to closewhen its compartment becomes substantially full.

6. In combination with a multiple compartment truck tank, lling meanscomprising piping xed in the interior of the tank and having branches todeliver the lling liquid into the several compartments, said pipingbeing further provided with an intake branch having a couplingconnection located in one of the compartments to receive the end of alling hose, said compartment having an opening in its top provided witha cover, opening of which aords access to said inlet connection,automatic valves for stopping ilow through the other respectivebranches, and float-controlled means located in each of the compartmentsand controlling said valves independently to cause each of them to closewhen its compartment becomes substantially full, the oat-controlledmeans of the compartment containing said intake connection being sodevised as to close the filling valve of this compartment at a lowerlling level than that attained in the other compartments.

7. In combination with a multiple compartment truck tank, lling meanscomprising a header pipe extending Within the upper parts of thecompartments through the divisions between the compartments, downtakepipes extending to near the bottoms of the several compartments,automatic Valves connected between the downtake pipes and the headerpipe, and float-controlled means located in each of the compartments andcontrolling said valves independently to cause each of them to closewhen its compartment becomes substantially full.

8. In combination with a truck tank subdivided into separatecompartments, said compartments having manholes with covers at the topand valved outlets for drawing off the liquid, lling `means independentof the valved outlets comprising a header pipe extending within theupper parts of the compartments, downtake pipes extending to near thebottoms of the several compartments, an intake branch having a couplingconnection beneath one of the manhole openings to receive the end of afilling hose when the cover of that compartment is open, automaticvalves connected between the downtake pipes and the header pipes, andfloat-controlled means located in each of the compartments andcontrolling said valves independently to cause each of them to closewhen its compartment becomes substantially full.

9. In combination with a multiple compartment truck tank, lling meanscomprising piping fixed in the tank and having branches to deliver thelling liquid into the several compartments, automatic valves for cuttingoil ilow through the respective branches, float-controlled means locatedin each of the compartments and controlling said valves independently tocause each of them to close when its compartment becomes full, andthermal release devices also associated with the several valves forcausing the valves to close.

10. In combination with a truck tank subdivided into separatecompartments having valved outlets for drawing off the liquid, fillingmeans independent of the valved outlets comprising a header pipeextending within the upper parts of the compartments through thedivisions between the compartments, and a downtake pipe in eachcompartment extending from the header to near the bottom of thecompartment so that during substantially the entire lling of thecompartments the liquid supplied through the header and downtakesdischarges below the surface of the liquid already in the compartmentsand thereby avoids splashing and its resulting spray and vapor.

11. The combination with a vehicle tank for transporting inflammableliquids, of a conduit communicating with the tank, a valve in saidconduit, a spring urging the valve toward closed position, means foropening said valve, a latch for holding the valve open, and thermalresponsive means for releasing said latch to cause said spring to closethe valve in case of re.

12. A truck tank for transporting inflammable liquids, a conduitcommunicating with the interior of the tank, a valve in said conduit,means for closing said valve including a thermal responsive device forcausing the valve to close in case of re, and a handle for opening andclosing the valve independently of the thermal responsive device.

13. In combination with a multiple-compartment truck tank forinilammable liquids, lling means comprising piping to deliver liquidinto the several compartments, valves for controlling the flow to therespective compartments, and an automatic operating mechanism associatedwith each valve to close the valve independently of the other valves,said operating mechanism including thermal responsive means located inposition to be operated by heat from a fire in its respectivecompartment so that in case of fire the supply of liquid to thatcompartment is automatically cut off.

14. The combination with a vehicle tank for transporting inammableliquids, of a conduit communicating with the tank, a valve in saidconduit, a spring urging the valve into closed position to stop the ilowof liquid into the tank, means for locking the valve in open position,thermal responsive means operatively connected with the locking means torelease said locking means in case of re, means responsive to the liquidlevel in the tank for causing the valve to close when the liquid reachesa predetermined level, connections between the liquid-level responsivemeans and said locking means by which the locking means are releasedindependently of the thermal responsive means.

15. The combination with a truck tank comprising a plurality ofcompartments for inlammable liquids, of filling means including pipingto deliver liquid into the several compartments, valve means forcontrolling the ilow of liquid to the compartments, including thermalresponsive means for cutting off ow to said compartments in event of re.

PAUL S. SHIELD.

